Analysis The Rebuilds Of Hawthorn and Geelong and their Future Prospects

[Strapping Young Lad]

That sucks for him, he's been pretty much injured since the trade no?

Edit apparently played a bit last year.

He’s had a couple of concussions and a couple of mysterious disappearing acts where he’s not trained for a couple of weeks and not been on the injury list.

Looks like a pretty regulation VFL player when he’s fit, but his time is running out.

 

[The 747]

He’s had a couple of concussions and a couple of mysterious disappearing acts where he’s not trained for a couple of weeks and not been on the injury list.

Looks like a pretty regulation VFL player when he’s fit, but his time is running out.

That's a shame I wanted him to do well. One day clubs will learn not to take anyone Geelong willingly offers.

 

[SSSSSS]

That's a shame I wanted him to do well. One day clubs will learn not to take anyone Geelong willingly offers.

You guys can pick the eyes out of late picks but your history at the first round has been pretty ordinary. To be fair they have mainly been late first rounders but can't really recall any of them coming on apart from Jordan Clark who is now at Freo and Holmes who looks a gun.

 

[The 747]

You guys can pick the eyes out of late picks but your history at the first round has been pretty ordinary. To be fair they have mainly been late first rounders but can't really recall any of them coming on apart from Jordan Clark who is now at Freo and Holmes who looks a gun.

Yep, lots of first round misses. It's fortunate we klll it at the rookie draft.

 

[SSSSSS]

Yep, lots of first round misses. It's fortunate we klll it at the rookie draft.

I rated Clark in his underage year. Like the kid. Can't say I've been overly impressed so far at AFL level but maybe he's going to be a slow burn given he's on the smaller side of a midfielder these days.

 

[Mr Meow]

I rated Clark in his underage year. Like the kid. Can't say I've been overly impressed so far at AFL level but maybe he's going to be a slow burn given he's on the smaller side of a midfielder these days.

He's just way too small for his playing style right now and hasn't had enough exposure at any level (AFL/VFL) since being drafted (injuries through 2023) to take strides forward yet. Another 20 games in the 1's and 20 in the 2's and he'll come on.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

Anyway - really rate a number of Hawthorn's youngsters, think they've got a decent core of young players to work with.

Actually like seeing Mitchell get angry at Scrimshaw, though curious to hear what team rules he was breaking by hitting up CHF. If it's because it was Newcombe then I can see why

It was a 1on1 contest with Ginnivan and someone else plus Amon came in late. Plus it was 40 seconds left in the quarter or something and Hawthorn had already given up 3 goals to that point and needed to understand red time, cost a goal.

Like seeing him animated tho, shows a lot.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

This year, although energy sapping right now, is what they actually needed. They need the infusion of talent at the pointy end of the draft, and they're going to get it.

Watson for mine looks like an extremely poor pick. His ceiling is Gryan Miers. I doubt he'll get there. Sanders, Windsor, O'Sullivan would all have been far better choices. High floors, higher ceilings.

A blue chip player in the top 3 is what they'll get this year. The rebuild will be fine.

CJ
Sicily
Lewis
Newcombe
Day
Nash
Moore
Weddle
McDonald

You can build around that core. Whether or not it will be good enough to consistently challenge for top 4 in 2-3 years is another question.

Watson was the best available talent and is going to be a star.

He has that aura about him, the confidence and swagger. He backs himself in, he has an extreme amount of elite qualities that will put him in good stead.

Lightning quick, agile, acceleration and deacceleration and ability to stop on a dime is freakishly good. Has a good leap, hasn’t shown it at afl level but his finishing is class, but getting the amount of shots he did early doors was promising, he’s creative and his pressure is good. Also versatile and has a good tank, all of these will be built on and he’ll make it. I guarantee it.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I don't answer to you, nor will I waste time explaining.

Poor form, people need to realise you can have an opinion without being a dickhead. Laughing about injury or things that can also affect a person mentally is exactly that, dickhead behaviour. Be better.

 

[DanA]

I was a little surprised to see Hawks winning the pole result but I’m not that familiar with Hawthorn’s young players. I figure they must be prettt well because Bruhn, Henry, Dempsey, Holmes, and De Konning look pretty established at AFL level with a few others making strong cameos or looking ready for a debut running around the VFL.

 

[Biggy_Boy]

The whole premise of the thread is wrong and was made by someone prematurely writing Geelong off (we won a flag the next year). Geelong and Hawthorn are not at the same point, or relatively close to it, in terms of rebuilds. Geelong has remained a side in contention while Hawthorn are still down the bottom and rebuilding. That means that how the clubs approach their list build, their week-by-week selection policy and the young talent they have access to will be vastly different. If people think Hawthorn have better young talent, that shouldn't surprise anyone, because they've been down the bottom trying to get high-end young talent for years now. If Geelong's young talent is better, after one year outside the 8 and winning a flag in 2022, that's a pretty staggering indictment on Hawthorn's recruitment and development.

Geelong has made changes to its list as of late, blooding several young players to the point that they occupy key positions in the side, but it wouldn't be fair to say that they're rebuilding in the sense Hawthorn are. We still maintain a reliance on a lot of older players, and that will remain as long as we are in contention for finals.

 

[Taper]

This weekend's game should be a cracker.
Looking forward to seeing our youth prospects go head to head against Hawthorn's youth.

 

[parsons nose]

Just looking back on some of the posts earlier in this thread. A fair bit of groupthink to be seen.

 

[Warhorse]

Just looking back on some of the posts earlier in this thread. A fair bit of groupthink to be seen.

At completely different stages of any 'rebuild'. Hawthorn are stacked with youth. Geelong are still heavily reliant on older players. Geelong may well try snag a good midfielder such as Smith and try again in 2025 and delay any potential rebuild to later on.

 

[parsons nose]

At completely different stages of any 'rebuild'. Hawthorn are stacked with youth. Geelong are still heavily reliant on older players. Geelong may well try snag a good midfielder such as Smith and try again in 2025 and delay any potential rebuild to later on.

Different stages of rebuild, I agree. But that’s not what I was alluding to. Plenty on here quick to write us off after a slow start to the season. Queueing up to put the boots in.

 

[Footy Smarts]

Different stages of rebuild, I agree. But that’s not what I was alluding to. Plenty on here quick to write us off after a slow start to the season. Queueing up to put the boots in.

The media and fans got well over their skis late last year and then way overreacted to a few poor results with some players out early this year. But you've got to credit then for playing some seriously good footy at the moment.

The thing that's surprised me most is how good your 25-28 year olds have been. Basically to a man Impey, Amon, Chol, Hardwick, Meek, Jiath, Nash, Scrimshaw, Worpel and Moore are playing career best footy. A number of them are going better than I thought possible for them.

With that group in its prime, some really talented kids, a couple of wily veterans and a couple of superstars on either side of that age range (Sicily and Day) you're going to be a decent team. And with that core age group stepping up the rebound has happened way faster than I expected.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

The media and fans got well over their skis late last year and then way overreacted to a few poor results with some players out early this year. But you've got to credit then for playing some seriously good footy at the moment.

The thing that's surprised me most is how good your 25-28 year olds have been. Basically to a man Impey, Amon, Chol, Hardwick, Meek, Jiath, Nash, Scrimshaw, Worpel and Moore are playing career best footy. A number of them are going better than I thought possible for them.

With that group in its prime, some really talented kids, a couple of wily veterans and a couple of superstars on either side of that age range (Sicily and Day) you're going to be a decent team. And with that core age group stepping up the rebound has happened way faster than I expected.

People are just too reactive to performances and result, it’s always been about the process behind that which will always lead the side into good stead.

No one doubted the prime age players tho, Chol had talent just needed to put consistent effort together.
Hardwick is a gun.
Amon is a gun, ex AA level winger
Impey a very good role player
Jiath everyone knows had talent
Scrimshaw talented and finally putting it together and has been exceptional
Meek has been a big surprise but put it together and has been awesome
Moore was always a gun and probably AA this year (he is still only 24 so still youth)
Worpel works his ****en ass off
Nash a surprise to some but a quick 198cm midfielder doesn’t grow on trees does a good job as a defensive mid
+ add in Lewis ️

The main drivers are still the kids tho, Day, Newcombe, Weddle, MacDonald, MacKenzie, Ginnivan, Watson, D’Ambrosio etc

Pretty good depth building and talent developing to take some spots with Ward leading the way then McCabe, DGB, Serong, Scaife, Hustwaite, Bennetts, Morrison (not youth he’s 25 but depth) + more depth with Wingard.

Age profile still one of the younger sides and Gunston/Breust likely retire which brings the list and team age down (was like 24 on the weekend, likely down to 23 something down there as one of the absolute youngest).

 

[Footy Smarts]

No one doubted the prime age players tho, Chol had talent just needed to put consistent effort together.
Hardwick is a gun.
Amon is a gun, ex AA level winger
Impey a very good role player
Jiath everyone knows had talent
Scrimshaw talented and finally putting it together and has been exceptional
Meek has been a big surprise but put it together and has been awesome
Moore was always a gun and probably AA this year (he is still only 24 so still youth)
Worpel works his ****en ass off
Nash a surprise to some but a quick 198cm midfielder doesn’t grow on trees does a good job as a defensive mid
+ add in Lewis ️

I don't think any of these on their own are that surprising. The surprise is that all of them have happened at once.

Go back a couple of years and look at Impey, Meek, Worpel, Scrimshaw and Chol. Impey had horrible injuries, Meek a classic good VFL ruck who might or might not make it, Worpel struggling after starting his career so well, Scrimshaw not close to living up to the hype and Chol talented but extremely inconsistent. Getting 3 B grade or better would've been a great result.

Instead Worpel and Scrimshaw are playing like genuine A-graders and the other 3 are at least solid B-graders. Would've been massively long odds on all of them turning out so well. It's a huge credit to Hawthorn's development abilities and completely changes the club's near term outlook if that continues.

 

[Dewyyyyy]

I don't think any of these on their own are that surprising. The surprise is that all of them have happened at once.

Go back a couple of years and look at Impey, Meek, Worpel, Scrimshaw and Chol. Impey had horrible injuries, Meek a classic good VFL ruck who might or might not make it, Worpel struggling after starting his career so well, Scrimshaw not close to living up to the hype and Chol talented but extremely inconsistent. Getting 3 B grade or better would've been a great result.

Instead Worpel and Scrimshaw are playing like genuine A-graders and the other 3 are at least solid B-graders. Would've been massively long odds on all of them turning out so well. It's a huge credit to Hawthorn's development abilities and completely changes the club's near term outlook if that continues.

Yeah that I can agree with, the timing has been perfect for them hitting their straps.

 

[triple treat]

This thread is aging beautifully hahahaha

 

[Jim Prideaux]

Completely different situations, Geelong have been contending consistently and as such have dealt with their situation incredibly well, we went down the rebuild route after a failed top up. Whilst results aren’t incomparable, situations are.

I’m happy with how we are tracking, and as a Geelong fan I would be too.

 

[Art Vandelay_]

As for Cameron, for all the hype,